Marion, NC: A Quiet Day in Camp

After a couple of exhausting days we decided to take it easy today, enjoying the quiet and solitude of the campground. Only a few other campers here during the week so it's very peaceful. The stream is one of my favorite places; several times I have placed a beach chair right in the middle of the stream and just sat there enjoying the coolness of the water and the sounds of the stream flowing over and around the rocky bottom and shoreline.

Our neighbors are from South Carolina and have that wonderful gentle southern style in their speech and manners. We had a wonderful time just relaxing and talking with them this afternoon and again this evening.

I mentioned previously that MLA had wanted to see two animals on during our travels: a alligator and a bear. We saw the alligator when we stayed at Riverbend just outside of Fort Myers, FL.

Yesterday she saw three bears at Grandfather Mountain. These bears can no longer survive on their own in the wild so they are kept in a special habitat. That said, MLA's 'bear sighting' will have to do until we spot a bear 'in the wild' for her.

Actually, I saw a bear 'in the wild' a few years ago in the Pocono's while staying at Camp Akenac. Jenna & I were stopped waiting to turn onto the road leading to town and just watched as everything unfolded directly in front of us. A good sized black bear came out of the woods into the path of an on-coming jeep. I'd estimate the jeep was going at least 35 mph (speed limit was 45). The jeep hit the bear and, just like in the cartoons, the bear spun around completely at least twice, on his belly with his legs straight out in all four directions. The driver of the jeep started to get out of his jeep and then realized that wasn't such a great idea. Jenna & I certainly were not going to get out of the car. The bear was in the middle of the road less than 25 feet from us.

The bear stood up slowly, shook his head a time or two, and then ambled off in the direction he had come. Straight up an embankment and into the woods, shaking his head just a little, just like we do when our ears are clogged after swimming.

The driver of the jeep and I got out to look at the damage to the jeep. The bumper was bent back to the tire but the jeep was fine other than that. The driver got back into his jeep and drove off down the road, shaking his head just a little, just like we do when out ears are clogged after swimming.

Seeing that bear spin around on the road like he was on ice was an incredible sight. One I'll never forget.

So, even though seeing a bear in the wild is something I can scratch off of my bucket list, I have to help MLA see her bear in the wild.

Tomorrow we go Gem mining here in NC -- Wish us luck.

See Ya!